My Gardens

i get so excited this time of year. Snow is finally melting and signs of growth abound. Ground feeding birds like Juncos and some reddish bird who’s name escapes me

Here is a picture of the trailer we have for summer visitors. A lot of shade over there (great in the summer) so the snow will melt slower and the trailer will settle down on the blocks as the frost leaves the ground.

That is our dog, Bella. She is a white shepherd. Not exactly Lassie, but a good puppy all round. Her bloodlines come from sled dogs in the NWT, so cold is not a problem.

This is the shady side of the house. i was going to make a bunch of “dark side” jokes, but, honestly. Ok. One.

Why is that funny? Our septic field is there. i crack me up!

Back yard.

Greenhouse and back woods, gardens.

Some beds are slowly emerging. Warm temps this week and some rain should finish exposing things.

Strawberries. Can hardly wait!

Solar panels supply all electricity to the greenhouse. This includes soil heating cables, which, duh, warm the soil.

Below, is a garden in front of the groomed wooded area. This year i will focus on beans and peas in these beds.

Another look at the wooded area. When we moved here, it was filled with underbrush and thin trees. So i thinned things out, kept the brush mowed down, and the trees grew twice as fast as the ones in the surrounding uncleaned, area. The trees will be used for fencing, etc, instead of buying lumber. The pile in the middle is debris which will form the base for another permaculture bed, probably to grow mushrooms.

Inside the solar heated and powered greenhouse, things are taking shape. The plastic holds in heat at night. Underneath the soil at that end are heating cables which warm the seed trays from the bottom and help speed germination.

Not such good lighting, but you can see some things have been planted and i am eagerly awaiting the first sprouts. Plants will go into the ground when it is safe.

The other end of the greenhouse. Pots are partially buried to cut down on water loss. Helps to keep them warm, as well. When the pots go into the outdoor gardens, i plant some heat-loving stuff (eg, hot peppers) in the greenhouse.

One last pic for now. In the picture below, you will see some of the nuts and bolts. In the corner is the battery/electrical component. Aside from some sort of emergency, everything in the greenhouse is solar powered.

i use passive heating methods in the greenhouse. There are two large rain barrels (partial one on left) which will be filled with water once my garden hose is free from winter’s grasp. They heat up during the day and then release heat at night.

For now, all watering is done by hand. I collect snow in large containers and let it melt in the greenhouse. Not a big deal, really, since things are not yet growing.

The black item on the right is a master stroke of genius. Friends had an old water heater sitting in their yard. i brought it home, took off all the insulation and anything mechanical/electrical and painted it with flat black paint.This thing heats up very quickly, and is heavy duty metal, so it releases that heat all night long. Terrific! And i have ideas for perhaps using them in the backs of beds. i am hoping to get more from the dump or to offer to take them away for people. We will see.

i hope these pictures will tide you over for a bit. The gardening is demanding a lot of time and attention right now, but i thought it would be easier if i used pictures to help explain some of the advantages and disadvantages i have in my situation.

Along the way, i will show you a lot of gardening tips and hints that will make your plants love you and produce like crazy. When farmers come and check out your gardening methods, something is, at the very least, interesting.

I follow Permaculture principles for our little place and will fill you in on how that philosophy affects everything i do here. Hope you enjoy the ride.